4/9/12: Coming off a big sophomore season for Florida’s Bethune-Cookman College, the powerfully-built O’Brien had his sights set on becoming a first-round draft pick in 2011, possibly even the first college catcher taken. It never turned out that way and his life has hardly been the same since.
Not only did O’Brien slip to the third round after his junior year, but he subsequently elected not to sign with the Colorado Rockies at the Aug. 15 deadline, becoming the second-highest unsigned selection in last year’s draft from the college ranks. Moreover, he also elected not to return to Bethune-Cookman for his senior year.
O’Brien enrolled instead at the University of Miami, gambling in the process that the NCAA would grant him a transfer waiver that would allow him to play immediately for the Hurricanes. Normally, a player must sit out a full season when transferring from one NCAA Division I institution to another, but O’Brien, a Miami high-school product, petitioned that he was doing so for family reasons, in order to be closer by his mother, who is in failing health. He enrolled at Miami in the fall, while awaiting a decision from the NCAA.
The NCAA didn’t address O’Brien’s case until late January—less than a month before the start of the 2012 season—but finally ruled in his favor. He would be eligible to play immediately.
Though O’Brien hit .336 overall with 38 doubles, 38 homers and 154 RBIs in 168 games over three years at Bethune-Cookman, his college career was marked by inconsistency—both at the plate and in the field. He stung the ball at a .398 clip with 20 home runs as a sophomore, and also excelled that summer for USA Baseball’s college national team, leading that club with four homers.
But O’Brien ended up becoming the fourth college catcher selected in last year’s draft after he hit .306 and his home-run output dipped to 14. Scouts felt he became overly aggressive at the plate with his draft year at hand. As his strikeouts mounted to a career-high 52, he chased pitches with increasing regularity and generally showed less feel for the barrel of the bat than in the past.
The obvious strengths of O’Brien’s game have always been considered his powerful bat and powerful throwing arm—though he has rarely been viewed as a polished overall hitter or refined defender. He generates excellent raw power when he gets his hands extended and punishes mistake pitches. O’Brien’s raw arm strength also quickly catches the eye of scouts.
Not only was O’Brien upset at sliding to the third round of last year’s draft, but he also felt somewhat disrespected in the process as he believed his draft chances were compromised by playing in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, not for a conventional high-profile college power in the Atlantic Coast or Southeastern Conference.
So as he was in the process of passing up an offer from the Rockies, he was simultaneously putting the wheels in motion to transfer for his senior year to Miami—a move that was facilitated when Mervyl Melendez, the long-time coach at Bethune-Cookman, resigned following the 2011 to take the coaching job at Alabama State.
While his eligibility at Miami hung in the balance for months, O’Brien has been given a new lease on life with the Hurricanes. He leads the team with a .357 average and has a pronounced edge in both homers (10) and RBIs (37). He also has become much more selective at the plate this season, drawing a team-high 20 walks while also striking out just 21 times in 142 plate appearances.
Defensively, he has also held his own while handling one of the best overall pitching staffs in Miami’s celebrated baseball history, and not coincidentally scouts have noted a slimmer, quicker, more-mobile player than a year ago.
Just as O’Brien appeared to be asserting himself this spring as the nation’s No. 2 college catcher behind Florida’s Mike Zunino, though, he was relegated to mostly a DH role over a 2-3 week period with an undisclosed injury.
With fewer questions this spring about his long-range ability to handle the catching job defensively on a daily basis, O’Brien’s stock has rebounded to a point where he may slip into the back end of the first round—even as a rare college senior, a year later than he originally intended.

Peter O'Brien is a 2008 C with a 6'2'', 195 lb. frame from Miami Gardens, FL who attends Westwood Christian HS. Plus athletic build, strong with projection. Very good defensively in all areas, game aware, quick actions, takes charge, nice arm. Good coil offensively, smooth swing, has leverage/lift in swing, good power projection, bat speed. Nice all around catching prospect. Good student.